Black Population in U.S. Hits Record 51.6 million

A.J. Pike

Washington, D.C. - The Pew Research Center out of Washington, D.C. has released their estimates of the 2024 Black population in the United States that has reached a record high of 51.6 million residents, which represents 15.2% of the U.S. population. This growth underscores not only the increase in absolute numbers over the last two decades, but also the ongoing diversification of the American demographic landscape. 

These findings directly contradict false claims circulating online suggesting a decline in the Black population. Extremist groups have exploited social media platforms, including X, to push false narratives about various demographics. Studies in 2023 and 2024 reported increased extremist activity on X following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform. Pro-nazi and white nationalist content gained followers. But there is no verifiable evidence of white supremacists celebrating or speaking out about a decline in the Black population. Most of the racial rhetoric is tied to general anxieties over population diversity in the United States along with the projected decrease of non-Hispanic whites which is forecast, for the first time in history, to fall below 50% of the U.S. population by 2045.

Extremist focus has also shifted away from Black demographics toward antisemetic sentiment given the Israeli-Hamas war, and towards anti-immigrant sentiment following the Trump Administration crack down on illegal aliens.     

Instead, verified data paints a clear picture of steady Black population demographic expansion over time. The Pew Research Center report shows the Black population of the U.S. was 48.3 million in 2023. This marks a 33% increase since 2000 when there were 36.2 million Black people living in the United States. 

According to the Pew data, the Black American population is diverse, consisting of people with varied racial and ethnic identities and experiences. It includes those who say their race is Black, either alone or in combination with other racial 

backgrounds. It also includes Hispanics who say their race is Black. 

The U.S. Black population is young. The median age of Black people in 2023 was 32.6 years, about 6 years younger than the U.S. population’s median age of 38.2 years. Roughly 30% of the entire Black population was below the age of 20 years, while 12% were 65 or older. 

More than half of the U.S. Black population (56%) lives in the South as of 2023. Another 17% each live in the Midwest and Northeast, and 10% live in the West. 

Texas is home to the largest Black population of any State, at about 4.3 million. Florida comes in a close second with 4.0 million, and Georgia comes in third with 3.7 million. NYC metro area has the greatest number of Black residents at 3.8 million. The second largest Black metro area population is Atlanta with 2.3 million, and D.C. metro is third largest with 1.8 million Black residents.